ENThe two-floor facility offers a variety of spaces where children are free to learn and play as they wish.
Sumitomo and Co-Creation—Articulating a Vision—
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Atelier Banrai-ITABASHI, a vibrant new space designed to make children think, I want to go! I want to stay! I want to try that!, has opened in Itabashi City, Tokyo. Created on the former site of a Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) branch, the facility offers a wide range of hands-on experiences to spark curiosity and help children explore future opportunities. An opening ceremony was held on March 26, 2025, and full-scale operations began on April 1. The facility is open to fourth- through sixth-grade youngsters attending nearby elementary schools. Registration is required but use is free in principle, except for a few paid programs.
Banrai in the name Atelier Banrai carries two meanings. One comes from the Japanese phrase senkyaku banrai, meaning “many visitors”—reflecting the idea of a place open to all children. The other is an abbreviation of “Bank of Life,” a metaphor for a life bank where children accumulate rich experiences as valuable assets. The name embodies the hope that this will be a space where creativity and curiosity meet, and where children can grow into new versions of themselves.
Although the facility was built on the former site of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC)’s Itabashi Nakadai branch, it bears no Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) logo or signage. That’s because the initiative is grounded in a sincere desire to help address social issues—specifically, by offering children a welcoming place and meaningful experiences that can broaden their future horizons. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) manages the facility directly: in addition to two full-time staff, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) employees are involved in running events and other activities, ensuring that the founding philosophy is put into practice.
The two-floor facility offers a variety of spaces where children are free to learn and play as they wish.
On the first floor, children will find the “Atelier,” a place for hands-on programs and events, and the “Study Station,” where they can do homework or work on projects. A particular highlight is the “Banrai Library,” with an entire wall lined with around 4,000 books—ranging from textbooks to manga and novels. It’s a place where children can freely explore books, make new discoveries, and deepen their knowledge. The second floor houses the “Banrai Café,” which hosts food education events and a children's cafeteria.
The experience programs, held about twice a week, cover a wide range of themes such as money, food, art, programming, and science. In addition to the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) Group, over 20 companies and organizations from various industries participate, offering unique programs that leverage their specialized expertise.
Collaboration with partner companies is rooted in empathy. For these companies, having a permanent base like Atelier Banrai offers significant advantages—it enables them to run long-term, multi-session programs that would be difficult to implement as one-off events, and provides opportunities to engage directly with local children. These initiatives are truly the result of co-creation between Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) and its partner companies, building a win-win relationship for both sides.
Children are free to spend their time at Atelier Banrai as they wish—joining various programs, doing homework, playing board games, or immersing themselves in a book. The facility is already becoming a familiar and trusted venue for children in the community.
The idea for Atelier Banrai first emerged in June 2024. Already engaged in efforts to provide educational opportunities, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) took the initiative to open the facility based on a conviction: that a wide range of experiences from early childhood—not only in the exam-focused teenage years—can nurture important personal qualities such as curiosity and perseverance. These qualities, in turn, help young people make better choices about their future, whether in pursuing further education or entering the workforce.”
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) conducts regular surveys of the children—when they first visit the facility, after taking part in programs, and after a certain period of use—to assess how they are changing over time. The aim is to objectively evaluate the purpose and impact of the facility, how well its goals are being achieved, and the extent to which it is contributing to the children’s growth, so that the findings can inform future operations and development.
Looking ahead, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) plans to partner with new companies on programs and to host special highlight events during the summer holidays. The program content will be regularly updated and refined to ensure that children are continually offered fresh and engaging learning opportunities.
The future Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC) aims to help realize through this initiative is one in which every child can pursue the future they dream of and take on new challenges. The bank hopes this facility will help each child thrive and lay the ground work for a society where children can shape their own futures with confidence and resilience. In the broader picture, the initiative also aligns with one of the key goals of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation(SMBC)’s 2023 medium-term management plan, Plan for Fulfilled Growth: the elimination of poverty and inequality. The bank hopes that this kind of effort will inspire similar initiatives across communities and among other companies.
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